Planning your beautiful adelaide wedding

A recent study has shown that planning a Wedding is more stressful than ever, with some couples surveyed saying it was akin to having a second job.
Many couples estimated that they would spend around 6 hours picking the perfect flowers,up to 11 hours trying on bridal dresses and almost 9 hrs working out their guest .
​Hopefully i can make your task a little easier with some helpful hints and tips...

Getting organised-

Congratulations on your engagement..now it is time to get stuck into the planning so where do you start..one of the first things you will need is a Wedding planner.
You will be contacting suppliers, getting quotes, organising meetings, writing down names and numbers and addresses so it makes sense to have all this information available at your finger tips.
The last thing you want is bits of paper here and there with this name or that quote and not being able to find them when you need them.
You could simply go to your local newsagent , pick up a 3 ring folder and paper and you are good to go or perhaps something a little more up market is your style with a customised planner with your names on the front...whatever you decide to do this Wedding planner will be your go to for everything related to your Wedding planning.
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Your Budget-

For most couples your Wedding is probably the first time you have had to think about planning an event and it may be the first serious budget you have had to put together but dont worry...most couples start out this way.
Did you know that the average cost of a Wedding in Australia is $35,000.

Here is a breakdown of how some of that money is spent
Food,alcohol and venue-$18,600.
Wedding clothing and accesories-$4300.
Photography-$4000.
Entertainment-$3000.
Ceremony-$1000.
Cars,hair, makeup-$2500.
Obviously everyone has a different budget and ideas about how much they want to spend...

Here are some ideas that might help you to save a few bucks...
Have a chat to both sets of parents if they are involved...perhaps they can contribute towards your Wedding dress or your photographer.
Start saving early and consider delaying your Wedding day a little to take a little of the financial stress away.
Be sure to get at least 3 quotes from each supplier and dont be afraid to haggle...see if you can get your supplier to drop their price a little or maybe throw in something extra to sweeten the deal.
Consider an out of season Wedding..perhaps a winter Wedding when things are generally a little quieter for most suppliers or maybe a weekday Wedding..
With a little bit of lateral thinking there are plenty of ways to have the Wedding day you always dreamed of without blowing the budget.

Choosing your Bridal party-

Choosing who will be in your bridal party with you on one of the most important days in your life  may seem a little daunting at first but hopefully these hints will make the process a little easier.
Once you have asked someone to be in your bridal party you cant take it back...i can understand that you want to ask all of your besties to be involved but it may be best to take a deep breath and have a bit of a think about it.
Give yourself at least a month to think about it and then ask yourself this question...
-Will i still be close to this person in 5 years time?
-Will this person fit in with everyone on the day?
-​Can i trust them to do something i ask without any dramas?

Consider asking your brothers and sisters...even if you are not particularly close now they are going to be around for many years to come and you may become closer over time..( and you will make you parents very happy).
What sort of role do you want your Wedding party to play...is it important that they will help you with your Wedding invitations and help you when you go shopping for your Wedding dress or is it enough just for them to show up on the day..if you want a very involved Wedding party it may be best not to ask people who live far away or have hectic schedules...you may end up disappointed.

Of course you can have as many or as few bridesmaids and groomsmen as you like..the average Wedding party size is about 5 on either side.
For a smaller Wedding of 50-60 guests consider having no more than 4 but for a larger Wedding of around 150 guests you could have up to 12 if you really wanted!
Something to think about though...more is not always better..the more people in your bridal party the more things you will have to organise, shoes, dresses, suits and ties, flowers, hair and makeup,the list goes on and on...

Next i will be looking at starting your guest list,
​Ciao for now...